Ange Postecoglou has stated he thinks Tottenham Hotspur can quickly bridge the gap to the best teams in the Premier League.
Tottenham finished fifth last campaign with 66 points, 25 behind champions Manchester United and 23 below rivals Arsenal.
Ahead of the North London Derby tomorrow, Postecoglou, 59, was asked about how Spurs can close the gap to the best teams in the competition, with the Australian believing it is a 'combination of things'.
"I really do think it will be a combination of things. Real success cannot lie in just one little match or thing. There needs to be more substance in it. Everything I’ve earned in my career I’ve worked hard for. I haven’t found an easy way to do it. If one thing does exist, maybe somebody will pass that on," he answered.
"But it’s a whole range of things you need to improve. These aren’t small differences in the cold light of day. You have to acknowledge it. That’s the starting point. If you think there isn’t a massive gap then it kind of defeats the purpose.
"That shouldn’t be daunting. It shouldn’t make you think it’s insurmountable. I certainly don’t think it is.
"I think the gap that exists between us and the top teams we can bridge and we can bridge very quickly if we stay disciplined and focused on what we’re trying to do, improve our squad, improve the way we play our football, allow our group to learn to win on a consistent basis and what that requires – and that sometimes means missteps along the way.
"I’ve always felt that anything you get in this game is hard-earned. We have to earn that. It’s not going to be easy. It’s going to be a challenge for us."
"It's not just about winning"
Tottenham have failed to beat Arsenal since May 2022, losing three of their past four encounters.
It's the one match Spurs fans mark on the calendar every season, knowing the local bragging rights are always at stake. It leads to a 'win at all costs' mentality for fans, but Postecoglou – from a professional point of view – sees it differently.
Naturally, the 59-year-old desperately wants to walk away with victory against Arsenal, but he also wants to make sure the performance matches the result.
"It’s a great measure but it’s not just about winning. You can win a game like this and walk away knowing they played us off the park in reality. I’ve always said to go out there against the best and perform, that’s the best measure," he outlined.
"Then hopefully you will win the game as well, because ultimately that's what you want to do. If we go out on Sunday, dominate this game, create more chances, really nullify them, then I think, irrespective of the result, the players will walk off thinking 'okay next time we’ll have another crack at it'.
"That’s where the real belief comes from. They’re a good measure for us, not just in winning the game, but can we play our football against them and walk off the pitch saying we really took it to a top team?"
The Gunners go into the North London Derby as favourites, despite missing Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice. They are further down their project compared to Spurs, but Postecoglou believes his side are already one of the best pressing teams in the league.
"I don’t really line us up against a specific opponent, but I think there are certain things we are already close to being the best in the competition at – the way we press and counter press. I don’t think there’s many teams that do that better than us at the moment," the former Celtic coach stated.
"The way we can play through pressure is right up there as well. That gives us an area to focus on at the weekend to make sure we really bring our 'A game' for that part of the game and then hopefully the other stuff kicks in as well."